Honor didn’t realize how much she had missed her visits with the spirits, until the thick mist cleared and she was standing beside Darcy, near a small sapling on the side lawn of the Belleview Biltmore. In this memory, Darcy was several years older than the last time Honor had seen her.
When Darcy spoke, her voice was tinged with sadness. “I believe this tree was a gift from Rory -- a symbol of our love. I come back to the Belleview every winter and sit here, where I can remember our time together and talk to him about our beautiful daughter.”
The base of the tree forked into two trunks. Several feet off the ground, the two trunks folded back together and then split apart again, reaching for sun. Even higher, the two trunks branched out in every direction and were covered with bright green leaves and purple flowers.
Darcy pointed to where the fork in the trunk had grown back together. “I wept here the year I lost Rory. The next year when I returned, I found this waiting for me.”
Honor moved closer and without thinking, exclaimed, “Why, the tree grew in the shape of a heart!”
Instantly, she regretted speaking, but it was already too late. The fog rushed in and carried her away. At the edge of the mist, Honor watched Darcy’s memories of her visits to the heart-tree race by until she became an old woman.
Just before Honor woke up in her own bed, Darcy’s voice filtered through the mist. “Over the years, I’ve watched countless wedding ceremonies take place beneath the branches of our heart-tree. I dare say Rory would be pleased to know his gift to me played a role in so many love stories.”
***
The next morning, Josh took Cody to James’ house so Honor and Becky could concentrate on their project. While Honor waited for Becky to arrive, she wrote about her recent spirit visits in her journal. Her entries were almost up to date, when she heard loud clatter in the hallway outside of her suite. She opened the door to find a young woman struggling to collect scattered papers from the hallway floor.
The girl looked up at Honor, distraught. “Um, I’m Becky. You’re Honor? Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, Becky. Listen, I know you’re eager to get started, but I think you should come inside first. It’ll be easier to work at the table than on the hallway floor.”
Relieved to learn Honor had a sense of humor, Becky confessed, “This is so embarrassing. When I let go of my suitcase to knock on the door, the stupid thing fell over and dumped my portfolio.”
“You have a portfolio? I can hardly wait to see your work.”
Becky relaxed and finished collecting the contents of her folder. Honor helped her roll her troublesome suitcase into an extra bedroom. Afterward, they sat at the large table in the main parlor to review Becky’s ideas for the website and blog.
“Your graphics are innovative and the website is user-friendly,” Honor praised. This is exactly the fresh look I was hoping for.”
“Thanks. Once the website is set-up, I figure you could post an article on the blog once a week and maybe invite professional women from various fields to guest blog sometimes.”
Honor was impressed. “Becky, how would you like to set up The Circle’s website and links to its membership database and blog? It would be a temporary job and it wouldn’t pay much, but it would be good work experience… and you would be spending some of the winter in Florida.”
Becky jumped at the opportunity.
“Great,” Honor said. “I’ll call my attorney and have her draw up an employment contract.”
Becky’s knowledge of Internet technology, combined with Honor’s ability to design cutting-edge system software, proved to be a perfect combination of skill-sets. They were still working when Josh and Cody returned that evening.
Following introductions, Josh ventured, “Cody and I ate an early lunch, so we’re ready for dinner, if you’re interested in joining us.”
Becky and Honor looked at each other and then laughed, realizing they had been so engrossed in their work, they had forgotten to break for lunch.
Becky stood. “You don’t have to ask me twice. I’m starving.”
***
Later that evening, when Josh and Honor were finally alone, Honor lamented, “I love working with Becky, and I’m enjoying this challenge, but I’m worried. The Circle is growing so fast, it’s taking up a lot of my time already. And if William agrees to split Soft Fix in half, I’m going to be overwhelmed trying to make my half succeed. If he decides to buy me out instead, I’ll be swamped starting a new company from scratch and won’t have time for The Circle.”
Josh listened attentively before he spoke. “Honor, haven’t you considered that The Circle might actually turn out to be your next business?”
The question caught Honor off guard. “No, I guess I haven’t. I was just inspired by Margaret Plant to form a network of women who could help one another achieve their goals…a sort of girls’ club to help even the playing field with the good old boys’ club that so many women encounter in the business world.”
“Why can’t it do that and be a profitable business, too?”
“Julie suggested charging initiation fees and annual membership dues.”
Josh nodded. “Yeah, and I’ll bet some of your members would pay extra fees to consult with career counselors.”
Honor nodded enthusiastically. “Or attend web conferences… and I could sell advertising space on the site, too.”
The longer they talked about it, the more possibilities Honor could visualize. “Maybe Julie could help out on part-time basis, too. I think I’ll talk this over with Sarah Jacobs tomorrow.”
Freshly inspired, she pulled out a notebook and began to formulate a checklist. Josh knew her well enough by now to realize that Honor would be absorbed with this new task until she fell asleep, so he kissed her cheek and rolled over to the other side of the bed.
Later that night, when Honor heard Margaret’s familiar voice beckoning from the parlor table, she was thrilled. She wanted to know more about her family history and why it had been kept a secret.
She rushed to the parlor, but when she realized Darcy was sitting at the table with Margaret, Honor stopped dead in her tracks. After all, she had had very little success talking directly to Darcy thus far.
Margaret motioned her to sit. “Hello, darlin’ girl. Do you remember Darcy here? Come say hello.”
Honor smiled at the older version of Darcy. “Hello, Grandmother.”
Darcy’s eyes brimmed with tears. “How I have longed for my descendants to know the truth. Giving up my daughter was best for all concerned, but a selfish part of me always wanted to trade places with Hannah…to raise my child and hear her call me ‘Mother.’”
Honor was puzzled. “If you wanted us to know about you, why didn’t my mother tell us about the adoption long ago?”
Darcy glanced at Margaret and then cast her eyes down, wringing her hands in her lap.
Margaret spoke for her friend. “Darcy never spoke to your mother or grandmother. Her story was not mine to tell, so I said nothing to them, either. You are the first in your line to learn the true origins of your family.”
“Why is that?” Honor asked.
Margaret continued patiently. “Darcy was never able to make contact with a living being before. I suspect she was able to connect with you because not only are you her blood relative, but you brought her long-lost journal and hat box here. Also, I suppose there are many similarities between your life and hers… your unhappy marriage, your new love, your willingness to adopt the child of another…” She trailed off.
Honor contemplated the magnitude of these revelations, feeling privileged to have been the one to finally connect with Darcy. Suddenly, she remembered the family pearls. Turning to Darcy, she asked, “Did the original pearl necklace belong to you?”
The fog swept in immediately and Honor cursed herself for being too inquisitive. She expected to wake in her own time, but this was not the case. Instead, the clouds parted to reveal an unfamiliar, but elegant Victorian bedroom.
Honor gulped air to calm her nausea, while taking in the scene. A woman was sitting on the edge of the bed talking to another, who was buried underneath a mountain of quilts.
When Honor approached the end of the dark sleigh-bed, she realized Darcy was the woman under the blankets and Hannah sat next to her.
Hannah was pleading, “You mustn’t talk that way, Darcy… you’ll be well again in no time at all.”
“If so, you can return it to me. Now, please go and fetch it from the closet.”
Dutifully, Hannah rose and opened the closet door. When she returned, she was carrying a large hat box. Honor recognized it instantly. It was the same hat box that was currently sitting on a table in her hotel suite, still filled with the clothes Darcy was wearing when she first made love to Rory Collins.
“Open the ribbon for me, Hannah. Quickly, now!”
Hannah untied the bow and lifted off the lid.
Darcy raised a weak hand and pulled the clothing to her face. She closed her eyes and breathed in the old, familiar scent of her true love, Rory. A single tear rolled down her wrinkled cheek. Then, reluctantly, she set the clothing aside and reached back into the empty box. To Honor’s surprise, she lifted a false bottom from the box, revealing a stack of cash and several pieces of jewelry, including a beautiful pearl necklace.
Darcy gave the money and jewelry to Hannah, who tucked it into a small, velvet bag, and then slipped the bag into a deep pocket within the folds of her skirt. Moving quite rapidly, Hannah then layered Darcy’s old clothing underneath her own. When she finished dressing, she placed a hat into the empty box and retied the ribbon.
Darcy was pale and tired, but still gave Hannah a satisfied smile.
When they heard footsteps approaching, Hannah picked up a tablet from a nearby table, and began discussing financial accounts for the residence. Honor was puzzled, but soon the reason for the masquerade became apparent.